33 CELEBRATING
FOOD INDUSTRY NEWS JULY 2015
FOOD
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YEARS
INDUSTRY NEWS FOUNDED 1982
JULY 2015
THE SOURCE FOR CHICAGOLAND’S FINEST SUPPLIERS
DO YOU SERVE CHICKEN WINGS? SEE PAGE 47!
DINING WITH MS. X ......................................... 4 CHEF PROFILES ............................................. 11 TRAVEL: KEY COLONY BEACH, FLA ...................... 18 CARY MILLER ............................................... 26 CHICAGOLAND NEWS ....................................... 27 NATIONAL NEWS .............................................28 AROUND CHICAGO: COLLETTI’S ........................... 32 DIRECTORY .................................................. 41
Restaurant Industry Strong
Driven by a strengthening economy, restaurant industry sales are expected to hit a record high in 2015. According to the National Restaurant Association’s 2015 Restaurant Industry Forecast, restaurantand foodservice sales are projected to top $709 billion, up 3.8 percent from 2014. In inflationadjusted terms, industry sales are projected to increase 1.5 percent in 2015. Although 2015 will represent the sixth consecutive year of real growth in restaurant
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sales, the gains remain below what would be expected during a normal post-recession period. The restaurant industry employs 14 million individuals in one million locations, and remains the nation’s second largest private sector employer. The restaurant industry will outpace total U.S. job growth for the 16th consecutive year in 2015, keeping the industry among the economy’s leaders in job creation. In the next decade, restaurants will add 1.7 million new positions. For details, visit Restaurant.org/Forecast.
PITA INN TURNS 33 YEARS; REBUILDS, EXPANDS
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he totally new Pita Inn Restaurant, 4710 W Dempster Street in Skokie is a larger, more elegant version of its iconic original restaurant situated just one mile east of the new location. This new 8,500 square foot Pita Inn is triple the size of their original operation. Founded by Falah Tabahi 33 years ago, the Pita Inn has earned a reputation for being among the finest and most consistent Middle Eastern quick service restaurants in the US. All four of their restaurants offer a business lunch special for $5.95, which includes their homemade beef shawarma, homemade tahini and hot
sauces falafel, kefta kabob, shish kabob, chicken breast, rice, salad and homemade pita bread. When asked the secret to his success, Falah Tabahi said, “to always make customers feel as though they get more than they are paying for. This has been my goal from the first day, to give customers something that’s healthy, delicious and a great value.” This philosophy has earned the Pita Inn a stellar reputation which is said to be one of the busiest Mediterranean restaurants in the US. The Pita Inn Market and Bakery remains open at 3924 W Dempster Street in Skokie.
Dawn Sweeney, HAAC President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association was inducted into Les Amis d ‘Escoffier Society of Chicago during the NRA show. Pictured with Ms. Sweeny (from left to right) is Tom Macrina CEC CCA AAC HGT, ACF National President, John Kaufmann CFE CEC AAC HOF HGT Chair Escoffier Society of Chicago, Dawn Sweeney, Bert Cutino CEC AAC HOF HBOT HGT AAC Chair Honorary Board of Trustees and Joe Aiello CEC AAC HGT President ACF Chicago Chefs of Cuisine Association.
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